Posted: 2:11 PM
Last Updated: 1 hour and 24 minutes ago
CLEVELAND - Former Cuyahoga County Commissioner Jimmy Dimora is now facing racketeering charges.
On Wednesday, a superseding indictment was unsealed, revealing more charges against Dimora in the ongoing county corruption investigation, according to the federal prosecutor’s office.
The 149-page indictment also includes an additional seven bribery charges.
Dimora, who was originally indicted on 31 counts in September, pleaded not guilty to the first set of charges, and maintains his innocence.
The indictment states that the racketeering charges stem from actions that started in 2000 and continued to June 2010. The indictment also lists several defendants still listed as "Public Official" and "Public Employee," meaning more people will be indicted.
“Dimora, Russo, and other used and agreed to use the powers of their County offices and of certain public entities, department, agencies, offices and committees subject to the influence of the County, to take, cause to be taken, and influence official actions, including actions in connection with: (1) awarding public business, (2) executing public business, (3) taken and withholding public personnel actions, (4) awarding and administering public loans, grants and other funding, (5) establishing and revising property valuations for tax purposes, (6) expediting, facilitating, and influencing judicial action in litigation, (7) expediting, facilitating and influencing official action in matters pending before the United States government, in exchange and in return for things of value for themselves and their designees, to which they were not entitled.”
Earlier this month, Dimora was approved on a $240,000 loan on his Independence home from Fifth Third Bank to cover his legal costs.
The two-year federal investigation has lead to numerous indictments against contractors, former MetroHealth Medical Center executives and Cuyahoga County judges. Former county auditor Frank Russo pleaded guilty to his charges and has agreed to testify against Dimora.
Keep checking newsnet5.com for more on this story.
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